Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Grocery Bag

In some recent reflection, I remembered a quick story that I wanted to share.

At a grocery store in Provincetown, Cape Cod, I was exiting with my food in hand. The man leaving ahead of me had taken all of his groceries with him, but had left one bag with 2 bottles of soda in the shopping cart. I picked up the bag, and walked steadily after him, and simply gave him the sodas once he had reached his car. He was grateful, and I went on my way. As I settled myself into the car that I was borrowing at the time, the man knocked on my window, and I rolled it down. He gave his best effort at expressing just how Nice it was that I had brought him his lost bag, and that I had absolutely made his day. He was relieved to know that such kindness "still" exists in the world. I accepted his thanks, and drove away smiling, myself (and considering the ubiquitous kindness that had made up my trip thusfar).

It had seemed such a simple thing to do, one that practically acted itself out. I would have had to have tried to not pick up the bag and walk with it in the direction i was walking anyway. The moral of the story, if it needs explaining, is that the universe is always conspiring to create goodness. Sometimes the most loving course of action is laid out on a platter, sometimes it requires a little more stillness to discover. There is little difference between the "giving" and "receiving" ends of kindness, and it's a blessing to be caught in the middle!